Saints Alive: Stanhoe and Barwick Newsletter

May 2021

Stanhoe Parish Council Matters/Reminders:–

• Parish Council Meeting:– If ‘unlockdown’ continues uninterrupted, it looks like the next PC meeting, which is scheduled for Thursday May 13th at 6:00pm, will actually take place in the Village Hall / Reading Room in Cross Lane instead of by teleconference or Zoom video. It will have been over a year since we last met in person! Let’s hope absence does make the heart grow fonder etc and that any other interested parties from the village will join us. The draft agenda will be published on the ‘Stanhoe.org’ website about a week in advance. If anyone wants to raise any other issues please contact Wayne Leighton or just come along.

• Rangers Visit:– We coordinate with the King’s Lynn Borough Council all works with respect to roads, paths and signs with their visiting team of ‘Rangers’. When you read this, they may have already just visited or will be about to come to clean the village gates, signs, cut back some hedges and growth, sweep paths and clear drains. Again, contact our rarely underworked Clerk, Wayne, if you spot any work you would like us to take on. We also hope to have a couple of road signs replaced/repaired/put back up at the Bircham crossroads and on the Docking road.

• Pond wildlife:– Some have commented on the increased wildlife around the pond - obviously they appreciate the environmental upgrades achieved over the past couple of years. The problem is traffic ‘accidents’ are also increasing. We need ideas to control wildlife numbers and traffic speeding.

• Village Spring Clean:– A reminder that we are making the usual annual effort to join the ‘Great British Spring Clean’ with a group gathering at The Village Hall / Reading Room on Cross Lane at 10:30am on Saturday June 12th. This will take about an hour, we’ll provide sacks, please bring your gloves.

• HRH Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh:– We were all greatly saddened by the death of Prince Philip. Many will have wished for some gesture to be made by the village in remembrance, but we have been constrained by current Covid restrictions. No physical book of condolences has been possible to arrange, but villagers may wish to go to Buckingham Palace’s internet book of condolence which is available by visiting ‘www.royal.uk’

• Contact:– Please get in touch with any issues you think we can be of assistance with. Best first step is to contact our Clerk, Wayne Leighton on 01485 518570 or email ‘parishclerk@stanhoe.org’

• Stanhoe Website. www.stanhoe.org is a ‘cracker’ of a site, full of information on the village and goings on. An occasional visit is recommended.

Back to the bikes:– You have been spotted!!

The latest update from us:–

“Despite the variable weather, the cycling duo has returned to occasional short cycle rides on the fine days, and so far this year has now clocked up a combined walking and cycling total of 77 miles since the start of the year.

At this stage last year, we had completed 50 miles - so we are still ahead of the game!”

Stanhoe Open Gardens:– A reminder:–

The Open Gardens this year will be on Saturday 17th July, starting at 2:00pm. There will be more details in next month’s Saints Alive.

Any queries please ring 01485 518324 or email penroche@icloud.com

WI Easter ‘Goody’ Bag:–

Stanhoe & Barwick WI members were thrilled to receive a surprise Easter bag, containing a multitude of goodies, put together, and in many cases, created, by the committee. Amongst other delights, the ladies will be planting seeds, making cheese scones, completing an art challenge and demolishing a creme egg! As one member commented, the bags managed to “cheer us on and give us a sense of togetherness”.

We have now held two Zoom sessions, quite a revolution in our 100 years of existence! Last week’s, entitled “Poets and Authors”, gave members the opportunity to share favourite poems and to recommend, or not, their current reading matter.

Once warmer weather blesses us, we intend to start to meet again, initially in groups of 6 and outside, of course.

Stanhoe & Barwick’s Facebook page gives further details of our activities.

New members are always welcome! Contact Valerie on 01485 576261 or vjrobson1@gmail.com

Word of the month:– LONGANIMITY

Longanimity, “patient endurance of hardship or offence; forbearance,” comes via Middle English and Old French longanimite from Late Latin longanimitāt-, longanimity entered English in the early 15th century.

How Is Longanimity Used?

“‘There’s very little we can do about Thomas.’ … ‘Then do very little,’ she says in the voice of one whose longanimity foreshortens like shadows cast by the poplars amid the blaze of noon.””

Muriel Spark, The Abbess of Crewe, 1974

“… if your disdain is my humiliation, I shall ill be able, albeit I am well furnished with longanimity, to suffer a grief that is not merely intense but protracted.”

Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra (1547–1616), Don Quixote, translated by John Rutherford, 2000

…. can’t wait to slip that one into the conversation !!